Stephen Harper's declaration that Calgary is the greatest city in Canada is threatening to stir up a national round of hometown rivalry.

The Toronto-born, Calgary-dwelling prime minister made the bold pronouncement as he officially kicked off the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede on Friday.

The event's founders "would be amazed to see that their Stampede has been part of giving birth to the greatest city in the greatest country in the world," Harper gushed.

While none of his fellow Calgarians — revelling in the Stampede's billing as the "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" — disagreed with Harper's assessment, many Canadians living elsewhere probably beg to differ.

Captured on video and picked up by the Huffington Post and other national media outlets, Harper's favouritism isn't going unnoticed.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson reportedly said Harper must have been confused.